Abbie Louise’s music drifts like a warm current — rooted in the red clay of Georgia, shaped by the forests of her youth, and flowing now through the creative heart of Kingston. Blending R&B, neo-soul, and indie folk with the spirit of a poet and a community builder, she invites listeners into a space of softness, honesty, and healing.

Her latest EP, Home, is a love letter to water, to nature, to the parts of ourselves we’re learning to embrace. Beyond the stage, she fosters spaces where voices rise together, through open mics, activism, and shared art. We sat down with Abbie to explore her creative sanctuary, her journey north, and the ways music continues to connect, soothe, and transform.

“I can’t stop the world from burning, but I can create spaces where people can connect, find hope, and feel a little less afraid of the fire.”

Q: Your music blends R&B, neo-soul, and indie folk. How have your Southern roots and your time in Kingston influenced this unique fusion?

Abbie: I was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up nearby in Woodstock. My home was surrounded by tall pine and oak trees, and I spent a lot of time alone outside. I would walk in circles, barefoot on the grass, writing songs in my head and singing to the forest. That was way before I considered myself an artist, but it’s in that red Georgia clay where the seeds of who I am today were planted.

Being so close to Atlanta, I had always been exposed to hip hop, R&B, blues, and country. Country isn’t my thing but the R&B scene especially has helped shape my sound. Many of my favourite artists, including Summer Walker and Jiah, are based in Atlanta, and listening to them keeps me rooted in the south while I progress my career in the north.

Moving to Kingston has also played a huge role in making me the musician I am today. I’m endlessly inspired by the artists I’ve met here and have had the joy of collaborating with. Despite the variety of talent, there seems to be a void in Kingston’s music scene where R&B could exist more prominently, and this only further motivates me to find my niche and make my mark here.

Q: In your recent interview on CFRC’s Airwave YGK, you mentioned music as a sanctuary. Can you elaborate on how this perspective shapes your songwriting process?

Abbie: I believe that to be an artist is to be a vessel, and that everyone is an artist in their own way. Art is born from emotion, and thrives with authenticity; In order to be vulnerable, the artist needs to feel safe. Music has always been a safe space for me, so in that way, it’s like my sanctuary. There’s always room on the blank pages of my journal for the words I can’t say out loud, and when I can’t put the feelings into words, my guitar is there for me.

When I create or listen to music that I deeply resonate with, it stimulates a somatic response as if I’m floating, yet grounded. Music has the ability to soothe our nervous systems, and it’s my passion to be a vessel for this power. But in order to offer this somatic healing to my listeners, I have to be experiencing it myself; I have to be creating from that sanctuary within.

I consider songwriting, along with other forms of artistic expression, as shadow work. When I write songs, I’m usually going inward to observe my emotions and translate them into music. I imagine shadow work as diving into the deeps of the ocean, and bringing what I find back to Earth with me as I ascend, so I can set it free.

Q: Your EP, Home, has been described as a deeply personal project. What themes or stories were most important for you to convey in this work?

A: Inspired by the wonders of nature, Home is a 23 minute love song to Mother Earth. With water being the central theme, my intention with this project is to draw listeners into a calming yet uplifting vibration, as if they were floating on the water during a warm summer day. The essence is very emotional and feminine, with a tone that is both vulnerable and confident because beautiful things happen when the two coexist.

When I was listening to Home shortly before it was released, I thought, “Wow, if only my younger self could hear this music.” Then I realized, she can. As I listen to each track, I feel the synergy of my child self and adult self co-regulating, and it’s like a meditation. Composing and sharing this music has been an extremely heart-opening experience. Even if I was the only one streaming this EP, it would still mean just as much to me, but knowing that it has helped others heal too is such a gift.

Q: Beyond music, you’re active as a poet, artist, and community organizer. How do these roles intersect and inform each other in your creative journey?

Abbie: I’m a strong believer in the power of the arts to connect hearts and open minds, so I love using music, poetry, and visual art as a medium of community building and change making. My experiences in Kingston’s activism community—from climate justice to Palestine solidarity to supporting our unhoused neighbours—have heavily inspired my poetry and songwriting. I believe community is at the heart of activism, so initiatives like open mics and potlucks are small yet meaningful ways to make the world a better place.

It’s easy to feel paralyzed by the overwhelming mass of world issues, so a mantra that I try to live by is “think globally, act locally”. I can’t directly stop the world from burning, but I can create spaces where folks can connect, find hope, and feel a little less afraid of the fire.

Q: You’re hosting events like the ‘Walks of Life’ Open Mic as part of the Skeleton Park Arts Festival (SPAF). What do you hope to achieve through these community engagements, and how do you gain inspiration from them into your own artistry?

Abbie: Every event I host or attend reinforces my value of community, and these reminders continuously inspire my art. On the second Friday of every month at Next Church, I host the Walks of Life Open Mic with the intention of creating a safe and supportive space for folks to share music, poetry, short stories, and stand up, and be part of a community where people of different backgrounds can learn from each other.

The upcoming open Walks of Life open mic on Friday, June 20 in collaboration with SPAF will be extra special, and I’m hoping it will increase visibility for independent local artists like myself, and foster confidence for both new and experienced performers. I think open mics are a great way to make people feel like they are part of something that is intimate and yet much larger than themselves, and as SPAF expands each year, it’s important to keep the festival rooted in the local arts scene from which it came. Posted: Jun 10, 2025